The rockery and buildings in this area of Graham Street were demolished in the 1970s when the Graham Street overpass was constructed.View of ornamental reserve (rockery) in Graham Street with buildings in the background. The decorative lights of the Maskell & McNab Memorial are visible within the rockery.graham street, parks and gardens, frederick william maskell, james mcnab, maskell & mcnab memorial, windsor railway accident

"The Rockery."rockery, garden views

John O'Loughlin was born in 1922 in Warracknabeal, Victoria and moved to Beechworth in February 1969. Following a brief time working in the real estate business, John gained employment as a prison officer at Beechworth Gaol. The gaol had initially closed its doors in 1918 but was reopened after the completion of alterations in 1926 as a reformatory prison for habitual male criminals. In his new role, John was able to pursue management in the farming industry, taking trusted prisoners out to a farm on the Wodonga side of Beechworth to work the land. This area was known as The Rockery, a grazing property of two-hundred and eighty acres about two miles north of Beechworth. This work done by the prisoners included timber cutting, land maintenance and the grazing of livestock, mainly Black Poll cattle. The programme was an instrumental component of prisoner rehabilitation, allowing freedom and responsibility. When he retired from his work in 1987, John observed that many improvements had been made towards the living conditions and daily life of the prisoners. This oral history recording was part of a project conducted by Jennifer Williams in the year 2000 to capture the everyday life and struggles in Beechworth during the twentieth century. This project involved recording seventy oral histories on cassette tapes of local Beechworth residents which were then published in a book titled: Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth. The cassette tapes were digitised in July 2021 with funds made available by the Friends of the Burke. John O'Loughlin's account of his life in Beechworth and the local area during the twentieth century is historically and socially significant to the cultural heritage of the region. He details important information surrounding Beechworth Gaol and the daily life of its prisoners; it is a place that still holds significance for the residents of Beechworth today. This oral history account is socially and historically significant as it is part of a broader collection of interviews conducted by Jennifer Williams which were published in the book 'Listen to what they say: voices of twentieth century Beechworth'. While the township of Beechworth is known for its history as a gold rush town, these accounts provide a unique insight into the day-to-day life of the town's residents during the twentieth century, much of which would have been lost if they had not been preserved. This is a digital copy of a recording that was originally captured on a cassette tape. The cassette tape is black with a horizontal white stripe and is currently stored in a clear flat rectangular plastic container. It holds up to forty minutes of recording on each side. John O'Loughlin / beechworth gaol, old beechworth gaol, john o'loughlin, beechworth prison, beechworth, gaol, prisoners, beechworth prison officer, prisoner reform beechworth, the rockery, black poll cattle, daily prison life beechworth, prisoner farmwork, beechworth training prison

Series 1: March-April 1942Rockery beside path to Principal's Residence.rockery, principal's residence, james leslie provan, j.l. provan

Plan - Central rockery in Graham Street between Station and Princes Street, 1950s.built environment - civic, parks and gardens

The old Rockery constructed in 1934 has been redesigned. Photo taken 1965.alan l. mitchell, burnley gardens, rockery

This project has been assisted by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Programs Board through its cultural Development fund, and by the City of Port Phillip Community Grants SchemeInvitation to the launch of the booklet Railway Rockeries, held at the Hotel Albion, 146 Evans Street in Port Melbourne, 2 August 2003.arts and entertainment - literature, hotel albion, port melbourne historical & preservation society, pmhps

Launched in August 2003 at the Hotel Albion overlooking the Reserves, this project was assisted by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Programs Board through its cultural Development fund, and by the City of Port Phillip Community Grants Scheme'Railway Rockeries -Tales of the Melbourne & Hobsons Bay Railway Reserves, Port Melbourne', a 16 page booklet produced as the first of an A5 series on Port Melbourne's public placestransport - railways, melbourne & hobsons bay railway company

Launched in August 2003 at the Hotel Albion overlooking the Reserves, this project was assisted by the City of Port Phillip Cultural Programs Board through its cultural Development fund, and by the City of Port Phillip Community Grants Scheme'Railway Rockeries -Tales of the Melbourne & Hobsons Bay Railway Reserves, Port Melbourne', a 16 page booklet produced as the first of an A5 series on Port Melbourne's public placestransport - railways, melbourne & hobsons bay railway company

One of four photos taken early 2003 of newly planted garden area in front of Port Melbourne Uniting Church, where a 2001 plaque acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land (Wurundjeri and Bunnerwrung peoples): rockeryindigenous australians, parks and gardens, religion - uniting church, wurundjeri, bunnerwrung

One of four photos taken early 2003 of newly planted garden area in front of Port Melbourne Uniting Church, where a 2001 plaque acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land (Wurundjeri and Bunnerwrung peoples): rockery, close-upindigenous australians, parks and gardens, religion - uniting church, wurundjeri, bunnerwrung